Bananier du Japon

In the wild, the only contemporary reports of this species have been from observations and collections within the Qionglai-Minshan conifer forests ecoregion. The mountains of this region are too steep to support agriculture and much of the vegetation of the area remains pristine (Häkkinen 2011, WWF 2020). It is also suspected that the native range for the species overlaps with the large and well-protected Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries World Heritage Site (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2020). As such, although the native range for the species is poorly defined and is possibly restricted to this limited area of Sichuan, it would not appear that there are any major threats in action that are likely to drive the species to extinction in a short time. However, it should be noted that the species is reportedly harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine (Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern 2020), there was considerable logging activity in the ecoregion until 1998 (WWF 2020), and the species is thought to have once had a wide range through southern China (Liu et al. 2002) and has thus suffered historic declines. As information around the species in the wild is limited and its contemporary range is believed to be small, it is essential that research be undertaken into the wild population to verify that threats in action are indeed minimal.

The genus Musa is listed in Annex I of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) which aims to guarantee sustainable agriculture and food security through the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, as well as ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use (FAO 2009). There are at least five M. basjoo germplasm accessions of wild origin held worldwide: one accession is held by each of the Biodiversity International Musa Germplasm Transit Centre (ITC) in Belgium, the Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura Tropical (EMBRAPA) in Brazil, the Centre Africain de recherche sur bananes et plantains (CARBAP) in Cameroon, the Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD) in Guadeloupe, and AGROSAVIA in Colombia (Ruas et al. 2017, Genesys Global Portal on Plant Genetic Resources 2020). At least 104 botanical gardens are sites of ex situ conservation for this species (BGCI 2020). The species is not known to have been collected from within a protected area. However, it has been collected close to the 9,245.00 km² Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries World Heritage Site, and Häkkinen (2011) references its presence in a mountainous nature reserve, as well as its occurrence between Lushan and Xiling; it is therefore suspected that it may occur within this protected area and may therefore benefit from passive conservation here (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2020).